About the Staff
Overview
The Food and Waterborne Disease Program consists
of a statewide coordinator, Roberta Hammond, Ph.D., nine regional
environmental epidemiologists, one bioterrorism preparedness coordinator,
and one administrative support member. We are here to assist the
67 county health departments in the surveillance, investigation,
reporting, and prevention of food and waterborne disease.
As a group, we have over 200 years of experience
in environmental health. Our regional environmental epidemiologists
are "in the field" with offices in various parts of the state. Our
color coded Adobe Acrobat map
(384K pdf)
visually depicts their locations and contact information and can
be printed for future list. Also, a
phone list
(68K pdf)
is available as a Adobe Acrobat document. If you would like
to email one of our regional environmental epidemiologists, selecting
their name below will open your default email client.
Roberta Hammond- Statewide Coordinator
Dr. Hammond received her PhD from Temple University
in 1993. She has been working in environmental health for 16 years.
She began her career in environmental health in 1989 as Environmental
Specialist and then Environmental Health Director in the Franklin
County Health Department. After 2 1/2 years as Environmental Health
Director, she moved to the Office of Restaurant Programs in Tallahassee.
In 1994, Dr. Hammond became the Statewide Coordinator of the Food
and Waterborne Disease Program. Her non-professional work, which
helped her get through college, includes many years in the food
industry from harvesting to processing to food service. Dr. Hammond's
office is located in Tallahassee.
Rick Hutchinson - Northwest Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Rick has a B.S. and over 27 years of experience with
the State of Florida. He was a sanitation and safety inspector for eight years and
has been the regional environmental epidemiologist for
Northwest Florida for almost nine years. Rick's office is
located in Tallahassee and he is responsible for Escambia, Okaloosa,
Santa Rosa, Walton, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes,
Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and
Washington counties.
Don Windham - North Central Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Don has a B.A. and 34 years of experience in environmental
health. He started with Marion County Health Department in 1972
and worked as an Environmental Specialist, Food Hygiene Coordinator,
Environmental Health Supervisor, and Assistant Director of Environmental
Health. He moved to his current position in 1994. Don's office is
located in Ocala and he is responsible for Alachua, Bradford, Columbia,
Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, Union,
Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties.
Kathleen Van Zile - Northeast Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Katie has a BS, and M.S.E.H. and has been employed
with the Florida Department of Health since 1978. She began her
career as a sanitarian and progressed to Assistant Environmental
Health Director before leaving Duval County Health Department. She
has been in her current position since 1994. Katie's office is located
in Jacksonville and she is responsible for Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau,
Volusia, St. Johns and Flagler counties.
Dean Bodager - Central Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Dean has a BS, M.P.A., and R.S. and has 23 years
of experience in environmental health. Twenty years of which have
been with the Florida Department of Health. Dean has been an Environmental
Health Supervisor, Environmental Health Consultant, and District
Supervisor. He spent a short time with the Department of Business
and Professional Regulation as a Management Review Specialist before
assuming his current position in 1993. Dean's office is located
in Orlando and he is responsible for Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Hardee,
Highlands, Polk and Seminole counties.
Mike Friedman - West Central Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Mike has a BA and M.P.H. and has over 27 years of experience
in environmental health. His first 14 years were with the Pasco
County Health Department where he was a sanitarian, an Environmental
Health Specialist, and finally Epidemiology Division Director. Mike's
office is located in New Port Richey and he is responsible for Pasco,
Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties.
Janet Wamnes - Southeast Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Janet has a BS and M.S. and has been in her current
position since 1994. Prior to this, she was an Environmental Specialist
with the Martin County Health Department for four years. Janet's office is located
in Ft. Pierce and she is responsible for Palm Beach, Indian River,
Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.
Robin Terzagian - Southwest Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Robin has a BS and 25 years in food safety and public
health. She started with the USDA as an agricultural commodity grader
and then moved into public health. She has worked at the county
level as a sanitarian, environmental specialist, and sanitation
and safety supervisor for the Glades, Charlotte and Lee County
Health Departments. Robin moved to the Department of
Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and
Restaurants in October 1992. Robin returned to the
Department of Health and has been in her current position since
September 1997. Robin's office is located in Ft. Myers and
she is responsible for Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hendry,
Lee and Sarasota counties.
Ryan Lowe - Broward Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Ryan has a B.S. and M.P.H. and has 5 years of
experience in food safety and environmental epidemiology. He
obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a
Minor in Biology from Kansas State University in May 2002. He
obtained his Master of Public Health degree in December 2006 and
a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management in May 2007 from
the University of South Florida. His public health career began
in Martin County as an Environmental Specialist. After 3 years
of work in Martin County, he accepted a position with the Bureau
of Community Environmental Health's Food and Waterborne Disease
Program. He has been in his current position since July 2005.
Ryan's office is located in Fort Lauderdale and he is
responsible for Broward County.
Juan Suarez - Southern Regional Environmental Epidemiologist
Juan has a BS and 25 years of experience in public
health. After graduation, he spent several years in clinical and
environmental microbiology before coming the the Health Department
in 1987 in Laboratory Services at the Miami Branch Lab. He moved
to the Miami Dade County Health Department in 1994. Juan's office
is located in Miami and he is responsible for Miami-Dade and Monroe
counties.
Tracy Wade - Bioterrorism Preparedness Coordinator
Tracy has a BS in Biology and an MS in Environmental Analysis and Management.
She spent a few years teaching advanced high school sciences and
community college sciences. She worked for the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection's Watershed Monitoring Section in contract
management with South Florida Water Management District and 5 counties
in that region. She was active in both the 2004 and 2005
hurricane seasons as an Environmental Health responder and
headquarters lead. She has been in her current position since
May 2004. Her office is located in Tallahassee.
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